Air-brake handle or controller-handle



G. J. SWEETSER. AIR BRAKE HANDLE 0R CONTROLLER HANDLE.

APPLICATION FILED APR-26, 1916.

Patented Aug. 8, 1916.

Q X iPnQQo QJ GEORGE J SWEETSER, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

AIR-BRAKE HANDLE OR CONTROLLER-HANDLE.

Application filed April 26, 1916. Serial No. 93,656.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE J. Swnn'rsnn, a citizen of the United States,residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State ofCalifornia, have invented certain new and useful'Improvements inAir-Brake Handles or Controller-Handles; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and eXact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in an air brakehandle or controller handle for electric cars and one of its objects isthe provision of a device of this character, which shall be simple,durable and efficient, and which may be manufactured and sold at acomparatively low cost.

Another object of this invention is to provide a cylindrical barrel atone end of ahandle, for receiving the valve stem or con troller stem,having means therein for locking the stem within the barrel.

A further object of this invention is to provide a releasing leveroperatively connected with the locking means for unlock ing the barrelupon the stem when desired.

A still further object of this invention is to provide wedge shapedchuck within the barrel and operatively connected to the releasing leverfor automatically locking the barrel to the stem, when said barrel isplaced upon the valve stem or controllingstem.

WVith these and other objects in view as will become more apparent asthe description proceeds, the invention consists in certain novelfeatures of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as willbe hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had tothe following description and accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 isa side elevation partly'in section of an air brake handle or controllerhandle, constructed in accordance with my invention, Fig. 2 is alongitudinal sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1,illustrating the chuck within the cylindrical barrel, Fig. 3 is asimilar View, illustrating the means of securing the chuck to the con-Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 8, 1916.

trolling lever, and Fig. 4 is a detail front elevation of the chuckremoved from the barrel.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral 1 indicates acylindrical barrel, having formed on its lower end a handle 2, which isprovided with a cut away portion 3, forming a guard extension 4, forengagmg a guide on an air brake device or electrical controller. Thebarrel 1 is provided with a central bore 5 which tapers downwardly froma point intermediate the ends thereof and is provided with one of itswalls curved as illustrated at 6 to conform to the stem of an air brakevalve or controller stem 7. The central bore 5 is enlarged from a pointintermediate the ends of the barrel to the upper end thereof to form anenlarged bore 8. The barrel 1 is provided with an elongated slot 9 whichis in communication with the enlarged bore 8 thereof. A releasing lever10 extends through the elongated slot 9 and within the barrel and haspivoted thereto a chuck 11, which will be hereinafter more fullydescribed. A pair of oppositely disposed cars 12 are formed on a cap 13and provided with apertures to receive bolts 14 which are adapted toextend through cars 15 formed on the barrel 1 for detachably securingthe cap 13 to the barrel. A coil spring 16 is mounted within theenlarged bore 8 and bears upon the releasing lever and the cap 13, tourge the chuck 11 downwardly within the tapering bore 5 of the barrel 1.

The chuck 11 consists of side members 1.7 and a rear member 18, the rearmember being formed on the side members 17 at the upper end thereof asillustrated at 19. The members 17 and 18 are substantially wedgeshapedto form. a wedging action between the stem 7 and the barrel 1. Formed onthe upper ends of the guide members 17 are a pair of inwardly bent cars20 which are provided with alining apertures to'rcceive a bolt 21 whichpasses through the releasing lever 10 for pivotally securing the chuck11 to the releasing lever 10.

A felt washer 22 is positioned within the enlarged bore 8 of the barrel1 and is provided with a slot to allow the lever 10 to passtherethrough, to prevent dust and other foreign matter from entering thebore 8 through the slot 9. The enlarged bore 8 may be filled with greaseor other lubricant by removing the cap 13, which will efficientlylubricate the operation of the chuck 11 within the barrel 1.

In operation, when desiring to adapt this device to the stem 7 of theair valve or electric controller, the releasing lever 10 is pusheddownwardly in the direction of the handle 2, pulling upwardly the chuck11 and the barrel 1 is placed upon the stem 7. The releasing lever 10 isthen released and the spring 16 forces the chuck 11 down wardly withinthe tapering bore 5 between the inner walls of the barrel 1 and the stem7, efficiently locking the barrel 1 upon the stem 7 and prevent thedevice from becoming accidentally detached from the stem 7 when inoperation. The chuck 11 being constructed of wedge shaped members 17 and18 will form a tight connection between the barrel 1 and the stem 7 andwill take up all wear which may occur within the barrel 1 from constantusage and assure a tight connection between the barrel 1 and the stem 7at all times. In the controlling handles now upon the market, thebarrels become worn and do not fit tightly upon the stem of the electriccontroller or air brake valve and will rotate upon the stem 7 slightlybefore the stem 7 is turned to open the valve or close the circuitwithin a controller and in cutting off the controller or air valve, itis sometimes impossible to make the handle rotate the stem 7sufficiently to close the valve or break the circuit within an electriccontroller, owing to the space between the barrel and the stem.

lVhile I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of myinvention, it will be understood that minor changes in construction,combination and arrangement of parts may be made without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. A device of thecharacter described comprising a cylindrical barrel provided with atapering bore, a handle formed on said barrel, .a pair of wedge-shapedmembers slidably mounted within the tapering bore of the barrel, awedgeshaped member formed on the rear edges and adjacent the upper endof the pair of wedge-shaped members, a pair of inwardly extending earsformed on the upper ends of the pair of wedge-shaped members, areleasing lever pivoted to said barrel and extending therein, a boltextending through the ears and the lever to pivotally secure thewedge-shaped members to the lever, and a spring mounted within thebarrel for urging the wedge-shaped members downwardly within thetapering bore of the barrel.

2. A device of the character set forth comprising'a barrel having atapering bore in its lower end terminating into an enlarged bore in itsupper end thereof, said enlarged bore opening out through the upper endof. the barrel to receive lubricant, a cap detachably secured to theupper end of the barrel, a chuck slidable within the tapering bore, earsformed on said chuck, said barrel having a slot extending from its upper end and terminating adjacent the tapering bore, a lever extendingthrough the. slot and pivoted to said ears for raising the chuck, and aspring interposed between the chuck and lever for urging the chuckdownwardly.

3. A device of the character set forth comprising a barrel having-atapering bore in its lower end and terminating into an enlarged bore inits upper end thereof, said enlarged bore opening out through the upperend of the barrel to receive lubricant, a cap detachably secured to theupper end of the barrel, said barrel having a slot extending from itsupper end to a point adjacent the tapering bore, a chuck mounted in thetapering bore, ears formed on said chuck, a lever extending through theslot and resting upon the lower wall and pivoted to said ears forraising the chuck, a spring for urging the chuck downwardly, and aflexible washer mounted in theenlarged bore and having a slot to receivethe lever for closing the slot in the barrel. 7

41-. A device of the character set forth comprising a barrel, having atapering bore, a chuck mounted in said bore and consisting ofwedge-shaped side members, a rear wedge-shaped member formed on theside:

members and having a pair of relatively spaced slots terminatingadjacent the upper end thereof to add flexibility thereto, a pair ofears formed on the upper ends of the side members and bent inwardlyandupwardly, a lever pivoted to said ears between the inwardly andupwardly bent ends, and a spring for urging the chuck downwardly in thebore.

In testimony whereof I afix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE J. SWEETSER. Witnesses:

HENRY FEIGL, B. F. EMERY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Iatents,

Washington, D. 0. v j

